Rebel Force Radio: Star Wars Podcast

You heard our coverage of The Forest Moon Festival 2025 last week, so this week, we're telling you all of the stories. Celebrating the original Endor shooting locations from RETURN OF THE JEDI in the redwoods region, this annual event is not to be missed. Fanboys director Kyle Newman was there as well and he’s back on RFR to share his experience. We recap all of the tales from behind-the-scenes and listen to the full Fanboys Q&A from the event. Plus, listener feedback, “Star Wars in Pop Culture” and more, delivered to you this week with an extra dose of "Endor Pride"!

RFR made the journey out to the beautiful redwood forests of California for The Forest Moon Festival celebrating the Endor shooting locations from RETURN OF THE JEDI. From Del Norte County to Humboldt County, we were part of a “caravan of courage” traveling up and down the Pacific Northwest to podcast at various event locations. Joining us were original ROTJ Ewok Kevin Thompson and our pal, FANBOYS director Kyle Newman. We talk to fans, cosplayers, artists, musicians, and locals who share their pride for living in a region that served as the Forest Moon home of the Ewoks. Hear from those who remember when Jedi was being filmed and contributed, along with those who celebrate the legacy. We even find out which “Jedi” cast member got pulled over for speeding! "Magical" was a word that couldn’t be overused throughout the weekend. This week, you can hear what we did. Next week, we’ll tell you the stories. Yub Nub!  Thank you:  Redwood Region Museum of Film Grizzly Creek State Park Crescent City’s Beachfront Park A

Now that ANDOR has wrapped up, we aren’t quite ready yet to let it go. We scoured the web to collect the best interview highlights featuring Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, who provides valuable insights into the finished series and gives us a lot to talk about. FORTNITE recently revealed an all-new A.I. powered Darth Vader character that players can interact with via voice text, so naturally because it’s the internet, people started to manipulate the “Sith-Bot” to say outrageous and unthinkable things. Of course, we had to try ourselves so you can hear what Darth has to say about Rebel Force Radio. It ain’t pretty. Big Announcement! We reveal info about when ticket sales will begin for this September’s RFR at RANCHO OBI-WAN event. Plus, Jimmy Mac reveals his list of Top 5 all-time Star Wars creatives, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK turns 45 and more! Get full show video, bonus podcasts, ad-free shows, and access to an amazing Star Wars fan community at RFR on PATREON! 

SERIES FINALE! The adventures of Cassian Andor come to an explosive conclusion this week in the fourth and final block of episodes from ANDOR Season 2: "Make it Stop," "Who Else Knows?," and "Jedha, Kyber, Erso." Join us for a lively RFR After Show looking back at these episodes and the entire series now that it has officially wrapped up. As always, the RFR switchboard was open for your thoughts about this unique and gripping installment of the Star Wars Saga.   Get ad-free shows, bonus podcasts, full show video and more at RFR on Patreon! www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio

In the wake of the amazing “Ghorman Massacre” arc from ANDOR season 2, there is still much ground to cover. We have highlights from a fresh interview with Andor writer Dan Gilroy, brother of showrunner Tony Gilroy. Dan provides some quality insight into the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Turning our ears toward ANDOR, we take audio of The Ghorman Front's desperate underground radio broadcast into the RFR Sound Lab to clean it up and hear it all, word-for-dramatic-word. Spotlighting Star Wars animation, we breakdown TALES OF THE UNDERWORLD and react to the stories featuring Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane. And Listener Feedback presents the question: Does Mon Mothma know The Emperor is a Sith Lord?  

The Ghorman Massacre is finally upon us as the you-know-what hits the fan this week on ANDOR. And the fallout is just as intense as Mon Mothma takes an official stand against The Empire putting her life at risk. Meanwhile, Dedra and Syril see their relationship come to a a wicked conclusion. Join us as we look at the second arc of ANDOR Season 2: "Messenger," "Who Are You?," and "Welcome to the Rebellion." We break down the entire arc and open up the switchboard for your thoughts, reactions and theories.

Our analysis of ANDOR season 2 continues with a collection of recent interview comments from Andor showrunner/writer Tony Gilroy who provides insider info about some of the important story beats thus far. We talk to the folks behind the Forest Moon Festival in California’s redwood forests where the Endor scenes for RETURN OF THE JEDI were shot to get all the info about a very unique event for Star Wars fans happening later this month, and RFR will be there! Plus, highlights from a recent rare onstage appearance by George Lucas at the TCM Classic Film Festival where he discussed the inspiration behind Yoda’s odd method of speaking. Listen, you will.

Join us for a lively discussion full of deep dives, hot takes and fresh reactions as we look at the second arc of ANDOR Season 2: "Ever Been to Ghorman?," "I Have Friends Everywhere," and "What a Festive Evening."

The wait is over... ANDOR Season 2 has landed, and Rebel Force Radio is breaking it all down! Join us for the RFR After Show as we dive deep into the first three episodes: "One Year Later," "Sagrona Teema," and "Harvest." We're talking about returning characters, new faces, plot twists, and how this season is charging toward ROGUE ONE and A NEW HOPE. And we don't shy away from the controversial scenes either! Plus, the RFR switchboard was open for listener calls, theories, "Blake's Take" and more!

Join us for a special event as we break down all the news coming out of Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025—from movie and TV show announcements to new games, merch, and more. We're talking all about the big announcements like the upcoming movie STAR WARS STARFIGHTER with Ryan Gosling, the reveal of MAUL: SHADOW LORD, and fresh info about AHSOKA season two and THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Plus, a sneak-peak at the first episode of ANDOR season two, audio highlights from the event, and we hear what YOU think with your calls live on the air.

The next STAR WARS film to come through the pipeline following THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU will apparently be helmed by Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy. We look at some new casting rumors and gather up clues about what this movie will be all about. Back in 1978, the legendary rock band Jefferson Starship performed a song on THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, but did you know their current stage manager Todd Mills is a huge Star Wars fan? Todd joins us “In The Cantina” to discuss the band’s appearance on the infamous “Holiday Special” and to provide his answers to the famous “Yoda Questionnaire”. We look ahead to next month’s animated TALES OF THE UNDERWORLD and dive into the RFR Vault for an interview with one of the voice actors from the upcoming series. And as long as we’re talking about voice acting, we pay tribute to the original voice of The Emperor in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, the late Clive Revill. Plus, we continue to countdown the days until ANDOR season 2 debuts and more! 

In a surprise announcement this week, we learned TALES OF THE UNDERWORLD will be the next STAR WARS animation event, launching this May the Fourth. We review the new trailer shot-by-shot and speculate. Veteran sit-com writer Bruce Villanch just released a new book and it features his recollections of working on the infamous STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL. We listen to hilarious excerpts from his audiobook and discuss some of the cool new info revealed about the making of the show. Did Anakin Skywalker’s midichlorian count shrink after he lost an arm and both legs? We discuss and debate! Plus, Luke Skywalker debuts at STAR WARS GALAXY’S EDGE and more!

This week, we're raiding the RFR Vault to present you with a rare, professional-grade recording of Mark Hamill's full panel from Star Wars Celebration Japan 2008. Coverage from this event is sparce and this is the only opportunity to hear the full, unedited panel complete with Japanese translations and fan questions. Our recording will give fans who are traveling to Japan in April for the next Star Wars Celebration at taste of what the panels will be like. Plus, we're showcasing some highlights from our Patreon exclusive show RFR Q&A, including a deep discussion about The Balance of The Force and The Dark Side, plus a fun quiz about General Grievous and more!

If someone asked you who the artist was that originally conceived the iconic look of Star Wars vehicles like the TIE Fighter, The X-Wing, and The Death Star, you might think of famous names like Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston. But before those legends were enlisted to work on STAR WARS, George Lucas first worked with Colin Cantwell. Colin’s partner Sierra Dall joins us “In the Cantina” to discuss Colin’s life, his artwork and she sets the record straight about his contributions to STAR WARS. We check out interview highlights featuring Tony Gilroy and some of the cast of ANDOR as they discuss the upcoming second season. Plus, listener feedback sends us down-the-rabbit-hole as we try to define what a “Bokken Jedi” really is. Get Full Show Video, Bonus Podcasts, Early-Bird access to Ad-Free episodes and more with RFR on Patreon!  www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio

As George Lucas was in his final years at Lucasfilm, he had some projects in the pipeline and on the verge of release, but they never happened. Via new interview highlights with producer Rick McCallum and writer Ronald D. Moore, we learn more about STAR WARS UNDERWORLD, the live-action STAR WARS TV show that had 50-60 fully written scripts ready-to-go, but was eventually abandoned. And Seth Green recently shared info about the fully-produced, but never-released animated comedy series STAR WARS DETOURS. These key creatives discussed their experiences working with Lucas on those shows and why fans will never get the chance to see them. In other news, we review interview clips of Daisy Ridley and screenwriter Stephen Knight talking about the ever-in-development “New Jedi Order” film featuring Rey. Plus, we discuss potential STAR WARS animated projects that may be in the works, “Star Wars in Pop Culture” features Mark Hamill on “Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast", and we have a huge announcement about the next RFR LIVE

We react to Kathleen Kennedy’s response to last week’s reports claiming she will be stepping down as president of Lucasfilm and clarifying what was true in the reports and what wasn't. Kathleen also discussed several STAR WARS projects currently in the pipeline. More footage of ANDOR season two dropped this week as the hype for next month’s season premiere ramps up. We breakdown the "Special Look" footage and search for hints of what’s to come. We discuss the STAR WARS presence in the 2025 Oscars including nominees and presenters, some film editing flubs in the Original Trilogy and more!   Get full show video, bonus podcasts, ad-free shows and more with RFR on Patreon! www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio   

NOTE: As we were prepping this podcast for release, Kathleen Kennedy responded to, but didn’t deny, the reports about her stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. We will discuss her recent statements on next week’s RFR.  Reports have emerged this week regarding Kathleen Kennedy eventually stepping down as Lucasfilm president at some point in the next year or so. We discuss the rumor and review Kathy’s reign as STAR WARS head honcho with a report card featuring all of her highs and lows. ANDOR is returning to Disney+ in April with its second season and a new trailer dropped this week. We go through the trailer shot-by-shot and discuss all the visuals and the music. We follow-up on Mark Hamill’s recent comments about singer Terri Nunn’s screen test for the original STAR WARS film with highlights of Terri recounting the audition via a rare radio interview. Get Full Show Video, bonus podcasts and ad-free shows with RFR All Access on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/c/RebelForceRadio

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, so we take a look back at several of the great STAR WARS celebrity cameos, jokes and sketches from the past five decades of SNL. Will Baby Yoda say his first words in the upcoming MANDALORIAN AND GROGU film? We discuss the possibilities and consider what his first words will be. We continue our review of the 1980 U.S. press conference for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Warwick Davis received a big honor early this week in London so we celebrate his career, and we also have audio highlights from recent interviews with Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill. Speaking of Hamill, the Luke Skywalker actor takes center stage in our "Outrageous and Unthinkable Story of the Week" as he redefined the term “wardrobe malfunction” at the 2025 Bafta Awards and more!  

We’ve heard from so many listeners who say they love it when we feature rare interview footage from the Original Trilogy era so in this week’s RFR, we feature cool audio highlights from the official 1980 press conference for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. You’ll hear from Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Irwin Kershner, Anthony Daniels, and Gary Kurtz. Fast forward to the present, we discuss all the latest STAR WARS headlines, including new quotes from Daisy Ridley discussing her upcoming “New Jedi Order” film along with comments from Sigourney Weaver who reveals  Baby Yoda “kicks ass” in upcoming THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. We react to a recent Lucasfilm executive shakeup and new rumors about a possible pair of unannounced all-new STAR WARS animated series. Plus, listener feedback, Luke Skywalker at STAR WARS GALAXY’S EDGE, and Harrison Ford’s new Jeep commercial. Get Full Show Video, Bonus Podcasts, Ad-Free show and more with RFR on Patreon! www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio 

The screenwriter for the in-development “New Jedi Order” film featuring Daisy Ridley - George Nolfi - addressed some questions about the script in a recent interview. We look at quotes from Nolfi about his influences, along with the politics and history that may be inserted into the story. We provide a first blush review of the early chapters from the upcoming novel STAR WARS: REIGN OF THE EMPIRE: THE MASK OF FEAR. We continue our discussion about Marvel Comics’ “Legacy of Vader” and the death of Watto, we review highlights from recent interviews with Bill Burr, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, a RETURN OF THE JEDI-era “Outrageous and Unthinkable” story, listener feedback presents the question: Will Finn return as a Jedi? Get full show video, bonus podcasts, ad-free early bird releases and more at RFR on Patreon! www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio